


Alternate Universe #93646

by renaissance



Series: #jbweek [5]
Category: A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin
Genre: Alternate Universe - Space Opera, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-02
Updated: 2014-10-02
Packaged: 2018-02-19 11:47:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2387180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renaissance/pseuds/renaissance
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Go on the mission with Lannister,” he said, “and show him who’s boss.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	Alternate Universe #93646

**Author's Note:**

> Day 5's theme is "one AU"... this is the Literal Interpretation. Plus, something a bit more light-hearted, after yesterday's offering! Enjoy!

The ship docked in the landing bay, and First Officer Brienne Tarth pushed back her visor with a sigh. Her co-pilot Podrick initiated the pressure stabilisation, and within minutes they were out of their ship and walking through the corridors for a post-mission debrief.

It was always hard to readjust after a jump—Podrick hadn’t been doing it for as long as Brienne, and he usually headed straight for the bathroom. This time, though, he followed Brienne to Captain Tarly’s office.

Captain Randyll Tarly was a daunting man, outranking nearly everyone on Space Station XN-751-TITAN, and Brienne’d had a few run-ins with him in the past, dealing with sexual harassment complaints. He wasn’t the most sympathetic of Captains, which was probably why he kept pairing her with inexperienced co-pilots and sending her on stupidly taxing jumps.

“Officer Payne will not be joining you on your next mission,” he said, seemingly ignoring the fact that Officer Podrick Payne was in the room with them.

“Where are you sending me?” Brienne asked, because it was a better question than “Who are you sending me with?” She wasn’t sure she wanted the answer to that one. If it was Hyle Hunt again, she’d probably stay in whichever Alternate Universe she was sent to.

“Universe #93646,” Tarly said. “There’s a disturbance on our records that’s coming from a temporal field in the atmosphere on Earth #93646. This is the second in the last week. We think someone’s trying to attempt time travel.”

Brienne nodded. Temporal disturbances were common for the Officers of WESTEROS—the World-Encompassing Space & Time Enforcement, Regulation and Overseeing Squad. Every Universe had temporal disturbances, but not every Universe had the capability that Universe #1 had: the technology to jump between Alternate Universes. Since so many Universes relied on WESTEROS to solve their problems, Brienne had dealt with temporal disturbances everywhere from Earth #1 to Neptune #325362, and she’d never been to the same Universe twice.

“If I’m not going on that mission,” Podrick piped up, “then who will be First Officer Tarth’s co-pilot?”

Brienne bit her lip. This was the part of the meeting she was dreading.

“First Officer Tarth will be co-piloting for Lieutenant Jaime Lannister,” Tarly said. “He requested her specifically for this mission.”

Podrick’s eyes shot open in surprise, and Brienne felt her heart skip a beat. Lieutenant Jaime Lannister wasn’t one of the men she’d had issues with in the past, but he had a reputation—an excellent pilot and experienced jumper, but nearly impossible to work with.

“Good luck,” Podrick told Brienne, as soon as they were well away from Tarly’s office. “I don’t envy you.”

“I don’t envy myself either,” Brienne said, sighing. “I might as well just go back to Earth #1 and retire now.”

Podrick shook his head. “Go on the mission with Lannister,” he said, “and show him who’s boss.”

The jump was the next day, so Brienne had some time to prepare herself. She didn’t sleep well, though—it was often like that the night before a big jump. She remembered the night before her jump with Hunt co-piloting, and she couldn’t shake the nerves.

Jaime Lannister was waiting by a ship the next morning, helmet by his side, and his hair streaming over his shoulders like some sort of ridiculous mythological god. He flashed Brienne a smile as she approached, and flipped open the door to the ship.

“First Officer Tarth,” he greeted her. “I look forward to working with you today.”

Brienne glared at him. “Lieutenant Lannister. I wish I could say the same.”

Why had he even asked to work with her in the first place? Where would he have gotten her name? She followed him into the ship, staring at his back as though it would give her the answers.

“Initiate pressurisation sequence, First Officer Tarth.”

It annoyed Brienne to no end that he was following protocol—she’d expected some sort of maverick, not someone who would order her around just like they’d done when she was still just an Officer.

“Initiate jump—WESTEROS Lieutenant Jaime Lannister and First Officer Brienne Tarth, Space Station XN-751-TITAN, from the orbit of Saturn #1 to Earth #93646.”

Generally speaking, the higher the number of a Universe, the further it was from Universe #1, and the harder the jump. Brienne had been much further than the ninety-thousands, but it was still a taxing jump, and her head was spinning as they came into orbit around Earth #93646.

“Alright there, First Officer?” Jaime asked, grinning as though the jump was nothing.

“Fine, _Lieutenant_ ,” Brienne said, her teeth clenched.

He grinned at her, and she felt like punching his stupid visor.

“Why did you bring me here?” she asked, stabilising the pressure in the ship for their disembarkation. “I’ve never worked with you before.”

Jaime laughed. “I came here earlier in the week to deal with a temporal disturbance. Routine stuff, nothing to worry about, but while I was poking around on Earth #93646, I found something interesting. I found my Alternate, and I found _you_.”

Brienne stilled. “We’re not supposed to make contact with our Alternates,” she said. “It’s in the WESTEROS Handbook, Section Five, Subsection R—”

“Calm _down_ ,” Jaime said. “I didn’t talk to us. I just watched from afar. Anyway, don’t you want to know what we were doing?”

Brienne clenched her fists. “Okay. I’m _trying_ to stay calm, but you literally faked a temporal disturbance and sought me out for a high-numbered jump mission based on seeing our Alternates together, and—and how did you even know it was me?”

It was just like when she had been in training—boys would ask her out as a joke, and she’d  fall for it, because she was so _thick_ that it never occurred to her that they were just making fun of her, because of her appearance and her cluelessness. It took all of her self-control not to lash out at Lieutenant Lannister.

“Everyone knows who you are,” Jaime said. “You’re one of the most promising First Officers in WESTEROS, and there’s talk you’ll make Lieutenant before the year’s out. And—”

“And?”

“And I saw our Alternates kissing.”

“Is this some sort of sick joke?” Brienne snapped.

“It’s not!” Jaime protested, holding out his hands in conciliation. “Think of it as our first date.”

“You _are_ joking,” Brienne said, pushing back her visor and rubbing her eyes. Maybe this was a nightmare, and she’d wake up soon.

“Aren’t you even a tiny bit curious?” Jaime asked.

No, she was definitely awake.

“Haven’t you ever wanted to know what you’d be like in an Alternate Universe?” Jaime continued.

“Never,” Brienne said.

Jaime sighed. “Well, we’re here now. We might as well investigate.”

“I’m staying on this ship,” Brienne said. “I’m not—”

A loud beep from the ship’s radar interrupted Brienne’s sentence. She paused, looking at the screen. “ _Impossible_ ,” she breathed.

“Oh yeah,” Jaime said, “I forgot to mention. It was our Alternates who caused the temporal disturbance. My theory is they’re attempting time travel.”

Brienne’s mouth hung open stupidly for a few moments before she pulled herself together. Time travel was explicitly outlawed in the WESTEROS Handbook, Section 1, Subsection C. Breaking rules in order to prevent rule-breaking was punishable, but the consequences weren’t harsh if your mission was a success.

“What are we waiting for, then?” Jaime asked.

“Nothing,” Brienne said, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment!


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